I have a Canon XL2 camcorder (purchased new in May 2010. I need to run an audio line from a small mixing board into the camera. Is there a way to use one channel of audio for the "line in" from the board, and use one side of the stereo front microphone as the second channel? Sort of a safety track if there's trouble with the line in signal. I can't find any specific information on this option in the manual.

Hi Bill, and congratulations on your purchase. Despite it's impressive audio features, what they don't tell you in the manual is that the XL2 doesn't natively accept line level input. Nor can it natively use both the rear and front mic inputs simultaneously. You can probably get mic level from the board, and the easiest and cheapest way to do what you want would be to plug a two mono to stereo 3.5mm jack adapter (available anywhere for around $2) into the front mic input giving you two 3.5mm mono inputs, but that's not recommended - it puts a lot of strain on the socket, is an unreliable connection and possibly noisy. You are much better off using the two rear XLR inputs - which really means getting a decent mic if you don't already own one, but if not, you were going to get one anyway sometime, so it may as well be now (I mainly use a Rode NTG1).

You can't use the stereo microphone and the rear XLR inputs. You'll need to get a different mic (with an XLR connection) for the first channel and an attenuator for connecting the line level signal to the second input. A Shure barrel attenuator should run you about $50.

Hey Marco, I was under the same impression as you, i.e. that you can't simultaneously use the front and rear inputs - but Dale above is right - you can - go into audio setup/audio mode, select 12 bit 1,2,3,4 and designate which pair your front and rear inputs go to. You need Scenalyzer or two pass capture to download the 4 tracks. Thanks again Dale, and isn't it nice when someone revives a thread most of us would have considered dead?

Sorry, didn't notice how old the post was. Most people (myself included) wouldn't consider recording audio at 12 bits a valid option. Also, can you really access the XLR inputs this way? I thought you had to use the RCA inputs on the side, also not a practical solution in most situations.

You actually can use line level with the XL2, or at least a slightly padded/consumer line level. Going in through the RCAs will allow you to get line level of a sort. a "real" line level device is too hot for these inputs and you will have to turn down its output or use an attenuator between the device and the RCA input, but it can be done.

Alternately, if for some reason, you have a beachtek XLR adapter, as I did because I had an XL1s before I had an XL2, that is a way to use XLR connectors and line level devices. Still the same level matching issue, as the Beachtek hooks up to the cam's RCA inputs.

As I understand it, "pro" line level is +4 (+4 what? no idea) and consumer line level (what the RCA jacks are set up to receive) is -10. Put a +4 into a -10 and you get distortion. So you have to pad the +4 device down to +10 or set the output of the device to be less than +4 to begin with.